Post-traumatic Stress Reactions in Children of War

Abstract

The aims of this study were to estimate the rate of post-traumatic stress reactions in Palestinian children who experienced war traumas, and to investigate the relationship between trauma-related factors and PTSD reactions. The sample consisted of 239 children of 6 to 11 years of age. Measures included the Rutter A2 (parent) and B2 (teacher) scales, the Gaza Traumatic Event Checklist, and the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index. Of the sample, 174 children (72.8%) reported PTSD reactions of at least mild intensity, while 98 (41%) reported moderate/severe PTSD reactions. Caseness on the Rutter A2 scale was detected in 64 children (26.8%), which correlated well with detection of PTSD reactions, but not with teacher-detected caseness. The total number of experienced traumas was the best predictor of presence and severity of PTSD. Intervention programmes for post-war children need to be evaluated, taking into account developmental and cultural aspects, as well as characteristics of the communities involved.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in pre-school aged children after a gas explosion

“…For rating the post-traumatic symptoms, CPTSD-RI [4,9,15] and the modified CPTSD-RI were used. Table 1 and Table 2 show the symptoms listed according to the DSM-IV and the alternative criteria, CPTSD-RI items, and corresponding items in our questionnaire.…”

Survivors of Political Violence: Conceptualizations, Empirical Findings, and Ecological Interventions

“…The development of new scales typically is specific to large research endeavors, such as research programs or longitudinal studies (e.g., Cummings et al 2009;Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999). For example, studies pursued through the 'Gaza Community Mental Health Programme' in Palestine developed and employed the 'Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist' (Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999).…”

“…For example, studies pursued through the 'Gaza Community Mental Health Programme' in Palestine developed and employed the 'Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist' (Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999). Other measures include in-depth interviews (e.g., Jones and Kafetsios 2005), semi-structured interviews (e.g., Basoglu et al 1994) and focus groups (e.g., Snyder et al 2004).…”

“…These seem to mimic the previously reviewed conceptual frameworks adopted in the epidemiological studies. The psychological discourse focuses upon understanding the effects of political violence on individuals by observing them through the lens of Western diagnostic criteria for mental health (e.g., Basoglu et al 1994;Goenjian et al 2000;Paardekooper et al 1999;Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999). The ecological discourse, on the other hand, has a multilevel focus that includes individuals, families, neighborhoods and other institutional systems (Cummings et al 2009;Dubow et al 2009).…”

“…Research within the psychological discourse conceptualizes individuals and their characteristics as the main dependent variable and operates from the belief that trauma is a universal response to political violence (Goenjian et al 2000;Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999). A short synopsis of the main paradigms identified in this literature is presented in this section.…”